Chinese junior duo dare to dream Down Under

Xu Andi and Jin Bo say their experience of playing in the Junior Presidents Cup has made them more determined than ever to one day compete in the senior version.

The hotly touted Chinese mainland pair won their singles matches on Monday but couldn't prevent their International Team losing 11-13 to the United States in a prelude to this week's main event.

Xu, who lost his first two matches on Sunday, bounced back to edge this year's Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Maxwell Moldovon, 1-up, while Jin secured his second win in the tournament by beating Benjamin James, 3&2.

"It's really special to play in an event which mirrors the Presidents Cup. This is the best event by far that I've played in and it's something I'll never forget," said the 17-year-old Xu, who hails from Guangzhou.

"The first day was pretty tough as our long game wasn't good and we struggled. It's really about learning how to manage on this golf course, your distance control and where to hit it. I made some mistakes which I think can help me in the future as I'll know how to perform better."

Xu will remain in Australia over the next few days to watch Tiger Woods' American team defend its Presidents Cup title against Ernie Els' Internationals, which features Chinese No 1 Li Haotong.

Next year, Xu will attend the University of San Diego, where he hopes to sharpen his game in preparation for turning professional.

"I'm going to watch the practice round here and the first round of the Presidents Cup. Before going back to the US I hope to learn from the guys. It's my hope to get to the PGA Tour some day. If I play well in college, I definitely want to turn professional and get to the Presidents Cup will be a good goal to aim for," he said.

Jin, whose brother Jin Cheng won the 2015 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, was delighted with his performances in Melbourne. He will attend Oklahoma State University next year.

"It's my first time to Australia and it feels so good. The whole setup in this tournament astonished me … the grandstands, the course setup were really impressive," said Jin.

"I am glad I won today as I played quite good. It's such a great experience being here. Stuart (Appleby) is a great captain, and he gave us a lot of advice."

Chinese Taipei's Lin Chuan-tai lost 7&6 to Ian Siebers but had good reason to hold his head high.

A product of the CT Pan junior golf program, he will head to the University of Washington next year. "I actually played pretty good overall, but today I kind of misread the wind direction. It's a special week to play in the Junior Presidents and it will help my career."

 

Xu Andi of China tracks a drive during the Junior Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on Monday in Melbourne, Australia. PGA TOUR